Considering that the first match between the teams, back in August at the beginning of the season, favoured Spurs by a 4-0 margin, then today's 3-0 victory over the Rams at Pride Park may be considered "normal". However, given the fact that for the first 60 minutes the relegation bound cellar dwellers had outplayed the visitors, then the scoreboard will show a slightly flattering account of how the match actually went second half goals from Robbie Keane, Younes Kaboul and Dimitar Berbatov sealed Spurs second away win of the season.
It was a goal-less affair for the first half, a half in which both teams were able to get the ball up the pitch somewhat effectively but either side had a different reason for being unable to complete their efforts. The tries by Spurs seemed to bog down on the outside with any attempt to knock the ball being rather easily deflected away; once in a while they would get a corner kick but there wasn't much success on that front. In one of the only times Spurs would get a shot on goal, it was a bit messy in that regard as Kaboul took a chance on a ball that would have suited the charging Keane better, the result being a easy stop by goalie Roy Carroll.
Derby's offensive accounts, often down the middle of the pitch, were turned away with some ordinary defensive effort for the most part and sheer luck on one occasion. That one would be when the shot by Giles Barnes halfway through the half veered wide left of the goal, lucky when considering that his shot was fairly uncontested.
Things got rolling for Spurs just after the hour mark, a couple of minutes after Berbatov had replace the ineffective Darren Bent. I'm supposing that coach Juande Ramos would have preferred to have given the Bulgarian the whole day off just a couple of days after international duties, but circumstances dictated otherwise.
Keane broke through in the 68th minute with an easy carom shot that Carroll hadn't knocked away cleanly, and Kaboul got his goal in the 81st with a great shot that Carroll had no shot in stopping. Berbatov rounded out the scoring with a late penalty kick awarded for a handball by Alan Stubbs in front of the goal, perhaps a harsh fate for the man who had played well all day but the rules are the rules after all.
Even if it wasn't clinically perfect football on exhibition, it was still great to see Pride Park full of singing fans all afternoon, even if the visiting fans did get in a song of of We'll never play you again at various points of the match.
Up next in the coming two weeks for Spurs is a UEFA match-up with Slavia Prague, with the first match away on the 14th and the return date the following Thursday at White Hart Lane. Come on you Spurs!
BBC REPORT
SOCCERNET REPORT
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